William D. Matthews facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William D. Matthews
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| Born | October 25, 1829 Maryland, U.S.
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| Died | March 2, 1906 (aged 76) Leavenworth, Kansas, U.S.
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| Occupation | Sailor, Officer, Civil Rights Activist |
| Political party | Republican |
William Dominick Matthews (born October 25, 1829 – died March 2, 1906) was an important African-American leader. He worked to end slavery (an abolitionist) and fought in the American Civil War as a Union officer. He was also a leader in a special group called the Freemasons. Matthews was a key figure in Leavenworth, Kansas, and across the United States.
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Early Life in Maryland
William Dominick Matthews was born on October 25, 1829, in Maryland. He was born free, which meant he was not enslaved, unlike many other Black people at that time. His parents were of mixed race. His father, Joseph, was a Black man from Delaware.
In the late 1840s, Matthews moved to Baltimore, Maryland. He worked as a sailor, traveling on ships. By 1854, he bought his own boat and worked on the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River. However, unfair laws made it hard for him to earn a living. Because of these laws, he sold his boat and left Maryland to find a better life.
Fighting Slavery in Kansas
In 1856, Matthews moved to Leavenworth, Kansas. This state was a key place in the fight over slavery. There, he opened a place called the Waverly House. This house became a secret stop on the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad was a network of safe houses and routes that helped enslaved people escape to freedom.
Matthews worked with others, like Daniel Read Anthony (who was the brother of famous women's rights activist Susan B. Anthony). Together, they helped many people escape from slavery.
Serving in the Civil War
When the Civil War began, William Matthews played a big role. In 1862, he became the superintendent of "contrabands" for the Kansas Emancipation League. "Contrabands" was a term used for enslaved people who had escaped to Union lines. The League helped these people.
Leading Black Troops
When the Union Army decided to form regiments of Black soldiers, Matthews wanted to join and lead troops. At first, he was told he couldn't lead soldiers in battle. He was offered a job in supplies instead, but he refused.
In August 1862, Senator James Henry Lane agreed to let Matthews raise a company of Black soldiers. This company became Company D of the First Kansas Colored Volunteers. Matthews became its commander.
First Black Soldiers in Combat
Before officially joining the Union Army, Matthews's regiment fought in a small battle called the skirmish at Island Mound. This was a very important moment. It was the first time a regiment of Black troops fought in combat during the Civil War. This happened five months before the famous 54th Infantry fought at the Battle of Fort Wagner in South Carolina.
Challenges as an Officer
Matthews and his two lieutenants, Henry Copeland and Patrick Minor, were the highest-ranked Black officers in their regiment. However, when the regiment officially joined the Federal Army, they were not allowed to keep their officer ranks.
Later, Matthews became the commander of the Independent Kansas Colored Battery, a different unit. Even after the Emancipation Proclamation (which declared many enslaved people free), Matthews and Minor were still denied their officer ranks in the 1st Kansas Colored. With support from their regiment, including white officers, they protested this unfair treatment.
On January 28, 1863, the War Department said Matthews could become an officer. This would have made him the first officially commissioned Black officer. But the order was not carried out, and he was not commissioned. Without an official role, Matthews was reported to have encouraged others to leave the regiment. Another officer, Andrew J. Armstrong, took his place as captain.
Continuing His Service
In July 1864, Matthews and Minor were appointed to recruit soldiers for the Independent Kansas Colored Battery. This unit was also known as Douglas's Battery. In September, Matthews moved to Fort Scott, Kansas, to continue recruiting, mostly helping enslaved people who had escaped from Missouri.
During Price's Raid, a Confederate attack, Matthews was at Fort Scott. Colonel Charles W. Blair put Matthews in charge of gathering all able-bodied Black men in Bourbon County to defend the fort. Matthews, Minor, and Captain H. Ford Douglas were the only Black artillery officers in the entire Union army.
After the War: A Political Leader
After the Civil War, William Matthews continued to be a strong leader. In 1870, he was called to serve on the Grand Jury in the U.S. District Court. He also became the Chairman of the State (Colored) Central Committee, a political group for Black citizens.
That fall, the Republican Party nominated him to run for the State Senate from Leavenworth. However, he lost the election. He was also an important participant in the Colored Conventions Movement, which was a series of meetings where Black leaders discussed civil rights and equality.
In 1874, he ran for the state legislature again but lost in a close and controversial vote. Some believed he lost because he didn't get enough support from white Republicans.
Freemasonry Leadership
William D. Matthews joined the Masonic fraternity when he was 22 years old. The Freemasons are a fraternal organization with a long history of community service and brotherhood. Matthews became a very popular and important leader in Prince Hall Freemasonry, which is a branch of Freemasonry for African Americans.
He played a huge role in organizing Freemasonry for Black people in the central and western parts of the United States. He helped create the Most Worshipful King Solomon Grand Lodge on June 24, 1867. This Grand Lodge became very powerful, overseeing lodges in Kansas, Nebraska, Arkansas, Texas, Colorado, and Wyoming.
The lodges Matthews organized in Texas later formed their own Grand Lodge (now called The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Texas). Matthews himself installed the officers when it was formed. In 1887, Matthews was chosen as the eighth National Grand Master, a very high position, and he served in this role until his death in 1906.
Family and Death
William Matthews had two sons, John D. and Joseph Edward. Sadly, both of his sons died in the late 1890s.
William D. Matthews passed away on March 2, 1906, at his home in Leavenworth. His funeral was held at the Kiowa Street African Methodist Episcopal Church. He was first buried in Mount Muncie Cemetery, but his body was later moved to the Soldier's Home Cemetery in 1908.
Images for kids
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William D. Matthews's grave marker
